ENERGY Radio said it would hand back the licence after a year if it did not meet the programming guarantees it has given to the Independent Radio and Television Commission.
The consortium's chairwoman, Ms Lucy Gaffney, said Energy would provide a voice for the young people of Ireland. It was the only group seeking to expand the radio landscape rather than cannibalise the audience of existing stations. "Almost one million people are waiting for this new station," Ms Gaffney told the hearing.
Energy, which is owned by the Dublin radio station 98 FM and local stations in Waterford, Galway and Donegal, is aiming mainly at the 15-24 age group.
There are 670,000 young people in that age group, while expanding the audience to include everyone aged between 10 and 29 would give the new station 1.2 million potential listeners.
At least, 30 per cent of Energy's music would be Irish. The company intends to play demos of new Irish bands and hold an annual garage band of the year competition.
Energy would also give one minute of advertising per hour free to Irish artists and record labels.
The Irish language would not be "ghettoised" but would form an integral part of programming, according to Energy. It would broadcast a bilingual top 40, and a Roe Gaelach programme featuring new music in Irish. Irish writing would have a weekly half hour programme, and the company also planned to organise an annual writing award.
Its news content would be dynamic and relevant to young people, 75 per cent of whom were not interested in the present form of news and current affairs, according to Energy.
Its general schedule would include a programme focusing on the lives of young people and a programme entitled The Nutcracker in which a psychologist or psychiatrist would address listeners' problems.
Energy said £5.6 million of radio advertising was currently targeted at 15 24 year olds.